Dental floss-package.



A. BAUER.

DENTAL FLOSS PACKAGE.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.30, 1911.

1,040,490. Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO-.WASHINGTON. 0.1:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEOK BAUER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BAUER 8:. BLACK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DENTAL FLOSS-PAOKAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct 8, 1912.

Application filed January 30, 1911. Serial No. 605,527.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEoK BAUER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Ima container of simple construction and convenient size for popular use and adapted to be carried in the vest pocket, and also adapted to be made in larger sizes for use by dentists and others.

I A further object of the invention is to keep the floss in a clean and sanitary condition in the container and to facilitate the unwinding of the floss from the cop so that it may be freely withdrawn from the container and cut off in lengths as desired.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the parts of the container separated. Fig. 41 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the end sections and the middle connecting section in screw-threaded engagement. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the cutter in a different position. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the sleeve.

Referring to the drawings, the invention comprises two tubular end sections 7, each of which is closed at its outer end 8 and open at its inner end. These sections are adapted to be arranged with their open ends in juxtaposition, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5,

and they are held in this position by the middle connecting section 9 which fits on the adjacent ends of the end sections and is cemented, or glued, or otherwise secured thereon, as shown in Fig. 2, or screwthreaded thereon as shown at 10 on Fig. 5. I prefer that the sections 7 shall be reduced in diameter at 11 to receive the connecting section 9, the ends of which will abut against the shoulders 12. By this construction the exterior surface of the container will be substantially smooth and continuous throughout which makes a neat package of attractive appearance. The end sections are preferably made of glass and the connecting section of metal and the latter is provided with a cutter 13 of suitable character which is preferably struck up from the section as shown. This cutter may be located on the connecting section in any suitable position and in Fig. 1 I have shown it extending lengthwise of the package and in Fig. 6 crosswise thereof.

The floss is provided in the form of a cop 14 of suitable size which unwinds from the outside, and the end of the floss passes out through the space 15 between the adjacent ends of the sections 7 and through an opening 16 in the connecting section 9 and is engaged with the cutter. This cutter not only serves to sever the floss when the latter is pulled against it but it will hold the end of the floss, as shown in Fig. 1, after a length has been severed.

As the package has only the opening 17 formed by striking up the cutter 13 and the opening 16 in its exterior surface it will not be necessary for some purposes to make any further provision against the entrance of dirt to the interior of the package, but I may provide a paper or pasteboard sleeve 18 surrounding the cop midway between its ends and having an opening 19 therein to register with the opening 16 and through which the floss passes. This sleeve constitutes an additional protection to the floss against the entrance of dirt through the openings 16 and 17 and it also serves to prevent the floss from working back into the container if the end should become disengaged from the cutter. The opening 19 is preferably punched in the sleeve by pushing a sharp instrument therethrough without removing any of the material and the edges surrounding the opening will therefore engage the floss and prevent it from working back into the container.

The container can be made in a small size to be carried in a vest pocket and still hold a cop having a considerable length of floss wound thereon, or it can be made in the same or similar form in a large size for holding a larger cop of floss for use by dentists and others. It will be observed that the floss is withdrawn from the container at the side thereof and between its ends, preferably at the middle of the container and this greatly facilitates the operation of withdrawing floss from the container because the cop may revolve freely within the container and not become stuck or bound. The container keeps the floss in a clean and sanitary condition and while it is not intended that the container should be refilled it is of I course possible to make the container with the sections detachable so that it can be refilled if desired.

l/Vhile I prefer to make the container cylindrical in general form with the floss passing out through the side thereof, I reserve the right to make the container rectangular or hexagonal or in other cross-sectional forms.

l/Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letp ends and having their inner ends spaced apart, and said middle section having an ters Patent is:

1. A dental floss package comprising a container adapted to hold a cop of floss and consisting of two sections open at their adjacent ends and closed at their out-er ends,

and means embracing said open adjacent f ends for securing said sections together to form a single chamber within the container, 5 said means being adapted to permit desired amounts of floss to be unwound from the cop and withdrawn from the container without relative movement between its parts.

2. A dental floss package comprising a;

container adapted to hold a cop of floss and consisting of two end sections open at their f adjacent ends and closed at their outer ends, said sections being arranged with their open ends in juxtaposition and being reduced in diameter at and adjacent to said ends, and" a hollow middle section seated on said reduced parts and connecting the end secconsisting of two end sections and a middle section connecting the end sect-ions together, there being an opening in the middle section communicating with the interior of the container to permit the passage of floss therefrom.

4. A dental floss package comprising a container adapted to hold a cop of floss and consisting of two end sections and a middle section connecting the two end sections together, said end sections being closed at their outer ends and. open-at their inner opening registering with the space between the inner ends of said end sections to permit the passage of floss from the container.

5. A dental floss package comprising a container adapted to hold a cop of floss and having an opening in its side between its ends through which the floss passes and a sleeve surrounding the cop and provided with an opening through which the floss passes.

6. A dental floss package comprising a container adapted to hold acop of floss and consisting of two end sections open at their adjacent ends and closed at their outer ends, a middle section connecting the end sections together and having an opening which communicates with the interior of the container 1 and through which the floss passes, and a cutter on said middle section.

ALECK BAUER. Witnesses:

K. M. RANKIN, G. D. LYON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

